Brasserie Almaza
Beirut, Lebanon · Est. 1933
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Lebanon's national beer, brewing in Beirut since 1933 through a civil war, an occupation, an economic collapse and a port explosion. Heineken took majority control in 2003; in 2021 Philippe Jabre — a Lebanese hedge fund manager who went home to run a brewery — bought it back. Only the second brewery in this archive to reverse a multinational sale, and the only one where the buyer went back to the country the beer came from.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1933Founded in Beirut
Brasserie Almaza begins brewing in Beirut, becoming Lebanon's national beer.
- 2003Heineken takes majority control
Heineken acquires a majority stake in 2003, putting Lebanon's iconic brewery under Dutch control.
- 2021Bought back by the Jabre family
Philippe Jabre — a Lebanese hedge fund manager turned brewer — acquires majority ownership in 2021, returning Almaza to Lebanese family control. Heineken stays on as a minority shareholder providing brands and technical support.
The Beer Library
Beers
Almaza
Year-RoundPilsner
Five Beiruti partners sat down in 1933 to name their new brewery and couldn't agree on anything. One partner's wife walked past, glanced at her own ring, and said 'Almaza' — Arabic for diamond. Nobody had a better idea, so that was that.
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How it changed hands
2 recorded moves- 1933Founded
- 2003Heineken takes majority control
Heineken acquires a majority stake in 2003, putting Lebanon's iconic brewery under Dutch control.
- 2021Bought back by the Jabre family
Philippe Jabre — a Lebanese hedge fund manager turned brewer — acquires majority ownership in 2021, returning Almaza to Lebanese family control. Heineken stays on as a minority shareholder providing brands and technical support.
No current parent in the archive's records — the moves above are history, not present ownership.
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